Japan court rules against same-sex marriage ban

The Osaka High Court on March 25 became the fifth high court in Japan to rule that the country's lack of legal recognition for same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, but it upheld a lower court decision not to award damages.

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OSAKA -

The latest ruling, in line with those of the Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka and Nagoya high courts, overturned the Osaka District Court's judgment that the effective ban on same-sex marriage was constitutional.

The Osaka High Court said that civil law provisions that do not allow same-sex marriage violate the right to equality under the Constitution.

Presiding Judge Kumiko Honda said the current provisions "cannot be justified as unavoidable, as legal disadvantages for same-sex couples are significantly large".